World Food Day

Reaching Zero Hunger by 2030

World Food Day is held annually on October 16. It is an international day commemorating the founding of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in 1945. The FAO is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to achieving food security for all.

World Food Day celebrates the global progress made toward zero hunger and highlights the world’s commitment to ending world hunger by 2030.

Food Security and COVID-19

COVID-19 is reversing decades of progress made in the fight against poverty and hunger in low- and middle-income countries* around the world. Malnutrition, starvation and chronic health issues are a serious and potentially life-threatening reality for children living in poverty, and food security has become an even more severe risk for the poor.

The lack of employment during the pandemic makes it difficult or impossible to purchase food, and as the global supply chain breaks down, many communities experience shortages in their food supply. The poor are hardest hit when this happens, and when food is available, the costs are rising — heightening the struggle as employment and income sources dry up.

COVID-19 is no longer just a global health crisis; it is an economic and food security emergency for hundreds of millions of people living in extreme poverty around the world.

The World Food Program estimates that 265 million people will soon be on the brink of starvation because of the novel coronavirus.

Food security is a measure of the availability of food and an individual's ability to access it. As defined by the United Nations’ Committee on World Food Security, food security means that all people, at all times, have physical, social, and economic access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their food preferences and dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

Conversely, food insecurity is defined as the disruption of food intake or eating patterns because of lack of money and other resources.

How We Help with Food Security

Hunger and malnutrition exact an obvious price on health and make it harder for people to learn, work, provide for themselves, lead productive lives and contribute positively to society. The effect hunger and malnutrition have on health and productivity forms a barrier that serves to keep people mired in poverty.

Compassion's Food Security Initiatives address the life-threatening hunger needs of children living in extreme poverty, while also providing preventive care to support long-term health and wellness.

By giving to help families affected by COVID-19, you help provide supplemental food, vitamins and medical care to malnourished children and support to our therapeutic feeding and food stability initiatives. A donation today will also help safeguard children from illnesses that hamper early childhood development and threaten their lives.

Donate today to help address life-threatening hunger needs caused by COVID-19 and to provide:

• Food kits that include essentials like rice, eggs, meat, milk, corn and other nonperishable dry goods
• Medical therapeutic feeding for babies, children, or youth, caregivers and siblings
• Nutrition assistance for pregnant mothers and infants
• Preventive and income-generating activities that help address food insecurity long term

Based on current food security and hunger forecasts associated with COVID-19, Compassion anticipates facing difficult food security issues for the next several years.

We must ensure that the 8 to 10 million children and families in Compassion’s reach who are already on the verge of starvation do not succumb to this virus or to its economic consequences.

Roadmap to a Hunger-Free Future

Without the establishment of sustainable agricultural production and food systems around the world, hunger and malnutrition will continue to be a chronic problem, as well as a severely acute problem in times of crisis, disaster, epidemics and pandemics.

Even though 4 billion metric tons of food are produced each year, more than enough to feed every man, woman and child in the world, one-third of global food producers' work gets wasted.

High-income countries leave food on the plate while low- and middle-income countries* leave food in the field or lose it in production.

Inequalities, conflicts, environmental conditions and lack of knowledge and resources also consistently take food from the mouths of the poorest 2 billion people in the world.

To reach Zero Hunger by 2030, the World Food Programme, Project Everyone and UNICEF created a high-level road map to help drive the world toward the specific success targets for ending hunger, achieving food security, improving nutrition, promoting sustainable agriculture and promoting global health and well-being for all at all ages. It includes:

• Putting the poorest first by expanding social protection programs for the most vulnerable
• Ensuring everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food by improving rural infrastructure and creating more efficient supply chains
• Increasing the nutritional value of our global and local diets by helping farmers cultivate a sustainable variety of crops and educating consumers about the importance of eating a wide range of nutritious foods. Currently, rice, wheat, corn and soy make up 60 percent of calories consumed
• Reducing food waste by getting food to the plates of those who need it, not just those who can afford it
• Prioritizing the nutritional needs for nursing mothers and children in the first 1,000 days of life

Please donate today to help families affected by COVID-19.